I love lentils! Lentils are high in fiber and protein. Sprouted lentils have the added bonus of being a "live" and raw food. It's really easy to sprout your own lentils. This salad is one of my go-to's for a side dish or entree salad.
Amp up your fiber and lean protein!
NOTE: This recipe requires pre-work to sprout the lentils. It's very easy to do with the directions below. But be sure to plan on a total of 3 days from start to eat-time so the lentils have time to sprout.
Here’s a super healthy and satisfying recipe that doubles as an entree-salad, side dish or an ingredient for another recipe. I keep the dried lentils in my pantry so I can prepare them as needed. You can go from dried lentils to edible sprouts in 3 days. While I'm sure other brands may work, I have had 100% success with the Whole Foods Market Dried French Green Lentils found in the dried bean/legumes shelf and the 1 pound bag. I have also successfully sprouted the 365 Black Lentils for a more 'earthy' flavor. Both the green French lentils and the black lentils remain tender but not mushy after they are sprouted.

1 Cup 365 (Whole Foods Markets) Dried Lentils (these sprout everytime!) Note that lentils will double or even triple in size once reconstituted in water and expand again as they sprout.

1 Cup match stick or grated carrots - cut into fork-friendly lengths

1 Cup fresh red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 Cup fresh red onion or scallion, chopped

Lentil dressing for 2 cups of sprouts

Dressing Option 1

1/2 fresh lemon, juiced

2 Tablespoons flax oil or olive oil

Himalaya (pink) sea salt to taste

Dressing Option 2

2 Tablespoons Avocado oil *OR* Olive Oil *OR* Grape Seed Oil

2 Tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Amino's

Method

Wash lentils very well so they ‘sink’ when soaked. Use a veggie wash if needed.

Place prepped lentils into a large bowl and cover with water at least 2” more than the lentils. All lentils MUST sink and be covered with water. No lentils should float or they will not soften!

DENTAL ALERT! Lentils that are not properly soaked will not sprout and remain hard! Chewing on an un-sprouted lentil is like biting on a rock! So please take care to follow the sprouting steps. It's easy, but being thorough counts! =)

Soak lentils for 8 hours or overnight.

Rinse well and drain in colander.

Place lentils/colander inside large bowl, cover with plate and let stand on counter top. This provides a warm, moist environment for sprouting and catches any water drips. Rinse lentils every eight hours, allow to drain, replace in bowl, cover.

Allow lentils to sprout 8-10 hours on the counter top, and then refrigerate. I find the lentils are tender and more flavorful when they just being to sprout..so watch for the little 'tail' on the seed. Then give them a try to see if they suit you taste. They will continue to sprout in the fridge but at a slower rate.

You may also find they sprout more quickly in summer months. Be sure to monitor this process and whisk them into the fridge before they become 'too sprouted'.

Check out the pictures below to see how I sprout lentils using a collander, a bowl and a plate. The keys to success are to soak all the lentils properly per the above directions, then draining them and transferring to a colander for sprouting. I have a colander that fits into a large stainless steel mixing bowl and then I cover the bowl with a plate.

Next keep them moist and at room temp while they sprout. Sprouting varies by time of year... and how warm the sprouting location is.

For best success, check lentils every few hours during the sprouting process and transfer to the fridge when they sprout and tender and soft.

Pro Tips for the Easy Sprouted-Lentil Salad Recipe

Sprouting Tips

The picture below shows lentils while in sprouting mode. They have already been soaked. After the soaking step (see above), transfer the lentils to a colander; rinse them well and allow to drain. From here the lentils will need about 8-10 hours to start to sprout.

Encourage sprouting by creating a warm, moist sprouting environment

I place the colander and lentils inside a large stainless steel mixing bowl and cover both with a plate as shown in the picture below. This allows air to circulate around the lentils but this keeps them moist and warm so they can sprout faster. Leaving them in the collander makes the next step of rinsing super easy too!

Note that sprouting time varies by the temperature of your home.

Summertime typically goes faster. So keep an eye on them noting when they actually start to sprout.

Keep lentils moist during the sprouting step by rinsing them

To rinse the lentils, simply remove the colander from the bowl, rinse under tap or filtered water and drain. Return to the collander to the bowl and cover both with the plate again.

Check the Sprouts Often

Check the sprouting progress every few hours over the next 8-10 hours. You're looking for a small white "tail" or sprout appearing from each seed. Be sure to check lentils from the bottom of the colander too as they tend to sprout there first. I recommend gently shaking the colander to 'shuffle' the lentils and get a look at how the sprouting is going below the surface level, especially at the bottom.

Once I see any sprouting, I test a seed that has not sprouted by gently chewing on it. We're looking for a light crunch as if biting into an apple. If you're seeing some sprouts and the rest of the seeds are tender, your sprouting step is complete.

I actually think the lentils in the picture below are sprouted beyond their ideal sprouting stage. But I wanted the 'root' (sprout) to be really easy to see for this blog.

Refrigerating the Sprouts

Once the sprouting has begun, rinse them again, drain well and transfer them to a food storage container for refrigeration.

Dressing the Lentils for a Simple Salad

Below are my ready-to-eat lentils in the refrigerator storage container and about to be 'dressed' with a simple dressing of flax oil, Himalaya (pink) sea salt and fresh lemon juice. For best flavor, allow the 'dressed' lentil to marinade for a few hours before serving chilled.

Storing the Sprouted Lentils

Often I will "dress" a portion of the lentils and store "undressed" lentils for later in the fridge. They seem to stay fresher without dressing. Always keep the lentils chilled once they start to sprout. It slows down the sporting process so they stay tender and tasty longer.

Getting Fancy with Black Lentils

Below is a pic of some black lentils. After getting questions about trying other lentils, I decide to try black lentils next. They worked fine following the same steps as outlined above. I did find the black lentils have a more earthy taste and could also be an option for adding a new color to the plate. Here's a pic of my black lentil salad with carrots, parsley and red onion added for color. Choose from a 'dressing option' above.

By Mary Wallace

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calories

192

fat

7g

protein

9g

carbs

25g

more

Mary Wallace Wellness https://marywallacewellness.com/mww/

I love lentils! Lentils are high in fiber and protein. Sprouted lentils have the added bonus of being a “live” and raw food. It’s really easy to sprout your own lentils. This salad is my go-to’s for a side dish. [Read more…]

Doc's Southwestern Roasted Corn & Black Bean Salad is a delicious recipe you can make with a number of ingredients from your well stocked pantry, fridge and freezer. I like to use this as a side dish or sometimes as a light lunch by itself. Pair it with foods where you'll enjoy the southwestern flavors and appearance.

Gather your batch cooking container and your salad supplies. You're going to make your salad right in the container and save cleaning extra dishes! A 9 cup / 2.1 Liter container will be a good size.

Cook

Place 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a 12" frying pan and set range heat to medium. Tip frying pan to spread olive oil to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. HINT: It may be easier to spread the oil as the pan warms.

When the oil has coated the bottom of the frying pan.

Add the frozen corn.

Cook/sautee the corn for several minutes, until thawed and warmed. Do not over cook or corn will become dried out and hard. Adjust the range heat as needed when your pan comes up to temp. Sample the corn as needed for 'doneness' and remove from heat when it's hot but tender to the taste. Allow to cool away from the heat. You can leave it in the pan unless there are over cooking concerns.

Refrigerate for 6 hours or over night to allow flavors to marinade together

Notes

Serve chilled.

I usually remove my serving size from the fridge 15 minutes before serving to allow the olive oil to warm slightly. Olive oil tends to 'gel' up in the fridge and allowing the salad to warm just a few minutes lets the oil return to a liquid state.

Bon Appetite!

Just for Fun! I named this salad after our pet parrot, Doc. Doc loves this salad and will scamper over to a plate and start nibbling on the corn and beans. Friendly reminder, if you have a parrot, never use avocado oil in any foods you may offer to the parrot. It's toxic to parrots.

By Mary Wallace

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calories

167

fat

14g

protein

3g

carbs

10g

more

Mary Wallace Wellness https://marywallacewellness.com/mww/

This is a delicious recipe you can make with a number of ingredients from your well stocked pantry, fridge and freezer. I like to use this as a side dish or sometimes as a light lunch by itself.[Read more…]

This salad is easy-peasy to make quickly. But it tastes best when flavors have an hour or even over night to marinade. Serve Chilled.
I love this salad for it's fresh, raw foods and satisfying crunch! It looks different based on the cabbage type or color it is made with.
I’ve become especially fond of it made with the avocado oil and apple cider vinegar that blend beautifully together and with the other veggies. I also prefer the more substantial flavor, tightly packed leaves and crunch of a standard green cabbage and feel the Savoy cabbage is a bit too mild and limp for my coleslaw tastes. See what you think. I have used purple cabbage in a pinch.
The salad holds in the fridge for a couple days making it a great batch-prepped food. We actually prefer this dairy-free version at our house. Always stir, taste test and adjust spices and dressing before serving. It does tend to pop better with a bit more salt, so feel free to adjust to your palete. Bon Appétit!

Clean and chop cabbage into thin slices and chop again as needed to create fork friendly sized pieces.

Clean and chop parsley, red onion, and carrots. I usually chop these in slightly different sizes to add visual interest. Add to mixing bowl.

"Toss" with 2 forks to evenly mix all ingredients.

Whisk together dressing ingredients and evenly pour over salad.

Toss salad to coat greens with dressing.

Cover salad and let chill in refrigerator. Over night is best, but even an hour will work in a pinch. Toss greens every few hours to evenly marinade the salad.

Lifestyling Wellness™ Timesaver trick(s) and recommendations

I will often ‘make’ this salad right in one of my BPA-free refrigerator storage containers so I have one less bowl to clean.

If I can only find really large cabbage, I will section the cabbage and reserve a couple of ‘chunks’ for steaming or stir-frying as a veggie for another meal.

Don’t have time to clean your food processor? Buy the pre-shredded organic carrots and use the leftovers on green salads later in the week.

I have been enjoying avocado oil in my cooking lately. I find it at Costco. It is heat stable up to 500 F degrees and doesn’t gel up when chilled in a salad like olive oil does. I find the flavor blends in wonderfully with other foods…anything that would taste good with avocado!

I am a big fan of Bragg Raw Apple Cider Vinegar. It blends really well with the fresh foods in this slaw and is a nice healthy option to a standard red wine vinegar.

NOTE: Out of respect for your busy life, I may list a couple of options for a given ingredient. This is designed to allow you to choose something that you already stock in your pantry, or try something different and new! My options are listed in order or preference…note the use or ‘OR’ to distinguish between choices.

By Mary Wallace

beta

calories

147

fat

13g

protein

1g

carbs

8g

more

Mary Wallace Wellness https://marywallacewellness.com/mww/

This salad is easy-peasy to make quickly. It tastes best when flavors have an hour or over night to marinade. I love this salad for it’s fresh, raw foods and satisfying crunch! [Read more…]